Most everyone knows and uses Walmart as their local shopping center. Lately, Walmart has made some pretty big changes. They recently decided to remove plastic bags from the check-out stations at all their stores.
Removing Plastic Bags
Walmart had made a goal recently to be a zero-waste company. That is a massive goal and will take a few years to get in place.
One way to achieve that goal is to stop using plastic bags.
Plastic bags are not good for the environment and it’s time for this change.
According to Walmart, “A shopping bag is at the center of the final interaction of almost every in-store purchase – be that your weekly grocery trip, a quick milk run or back-to-school shopping. While the convenience of the plastic retail bag cannot be disputed, the average working life of one of these bags is only 12 minutes. It’s estimated that 100 billion plastic bags are being used annually in the U.S. alone, and less than 10 percent of them are recycled.”
This goal to stop using plastic bags will take around three years to complete.
Beyond the Bag
To achieve their goal, Walmart has teamed up with “Beyond the Bag” a company that finds ways to eliminate plastic bags that are better for the world.
CVS Health, Walmart, and Target are all a part of this mission.
Beyond the Bag shares their plan of “identifying, testing and implementing viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag.”
How You Can Help
You can help with this initiative too!
Beyond the Bag is wanting to hear your ideas on how to eliminate plastic bags. If you have a creative idea for a new eco-friendly bag, be sure to submit your thoughts!
You can go to Beyond the Bag Challenge to submit your ideas.
Submissions are due by September 10th as they will start getting to work after that.
Plastic bags are just one part of Walmart’s ultimate goal to be zero waste. Are you excited or dreading this new change?
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111 comments on “Walmart is Removing Plastic Bags From All Their Stores”
What is wrong with using paper bags ?
Stop putting one item in a bag when using online order with pickup
Use bags that dissolve after a short time..Give a dime off if you bring your own bag…paper bags are still here…
yes
, go back to the orginal paper bag !
Paper bags – you can make paper with hemp, bamboo, wood, recycled paper, etc… paper bags are also biodegradable. Simple solution: go back to what works!
Do away with them and just like they used to charge customers for bags, instead give them a credit for bringing their own bags.
Bring your own shopping bags. How hard is that? There are all kinds of shopping bags out there to buy that can be used over again. Or, make your own, Get the kind that suits you and use them. Problem solved. I’m not getting why this is a problem.
I don’t care what they are made of as long as they have handles.
Hemp bags
Cloth bags that Walmart sells are cheap, sturdy, durable, long lasting and all it takes is to carry several inside of one when we walk into any store – – – I wrote about having larger checkout spaces to do our own checkout and still think that is important to customers – but these cloth bags are a great option to plastic bags AND a LOT easier to carry into our homes or out to cars or wherever we want them to go…….over and over and over………..
If they could make those bags with a sturdy bottom it would help. Don’t mind using them, just don’t like the sag when you pick them up.
Costco, reuses, their boxes and they r paper, so biodegradable.
i meant bamboo bags with handles
That sounds cool!
Paper bags with handles that can be reused
I use the bags for garbage. What am I supposed to use when the bags are gone?
yes
I also use the bags for garbage. When they are gone i will have to buy bags for garbage. Will still have the plastic just from another source.
boxes or totes from the Dollar Tree or the9 9 cent store.
Fixing something that isn’t broke again.
Then provide paper sacks, 1st they want you to check yourself out,now bring your own bag…want us to stock the shelves for you next?
So, how will groceries be delivered to your car for curbside? I can see them putting the items in your car one at a time. NOT. Â Or is this service going away too?
You can get boxes or go to the Dollar Tree or the 99 cent store and buy a couple, 3 or 4 bags.
They already eliminated the plastic bags from all Wal-Mart stores here in Puerto Rico where I live just to replace them with other plastic bags that they sell to us at 10 cents a bag. So its not really about environmental safety or concern its just they cut down on the companies cost of plastic bags and now thry will charge the public for them
for sure
Charging a minimal fee (5 cents) is a state law in VA and many other states. I doubt that a nickel is enough to keep shoppers from using them.
That defeats the whole purpose of not having plastic bags.
Paper bags worked just fine when I was growing up.
I have seen paper bags with handles. making them reusable,
maybe it was a pilot program because I haven’t seen any in
a few months. They were nice. I bring my own bags, which
I prefer
Paper bags with handles are good for lightweight purchases, but rip easily when you put more than a few groceries-cans, bottles, large pieces of meat. etc. in them. I have had the handles break and faced a mes to clean up.
Go back to paper bags (Yes, I know, that means more trees) or make biodegradable bags. We reuse our bags. I am disabled and can carry only lightweight packages, so handles on paper bags might help.
Have used Walmart canvas bags and they last – problem is not bags – it is lack of counter space to check our own carts of groceries and end up with our stuff on the floor until we have room in our cart to put our items into cart after they are checked – if Walmart wants us to do all the work it is time they lower prices and make room so we can work and follow health laws too…for our own safe
well with walmart getting rid of cashiers you will be bagging your own at the register so it would be easier . its as you say the cloth, reusable are not big enough and as it is would need several to tally it all up